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The Rs. 147 m. was deposited as security, Brewery company says | Right of reply
View(s):McCAllum Brewing Company (Pvt) Limited which has been renamed as Adrastos Beverages (Pvt.) Limited has written to the newspaper in reference to the article titled “Liquor giants’ licences renewed despite tax default,” published last Sunday.
They say that the article states that there is a sum of Rs.147 million in “arrears” due by them to the Excise Department and that their liquor licence had been renewed despite such sum being in default..
The Company states that the sum of approximately Rs.147 million referred to in the article had been deposited with the Commissioner General of Excise as far back as 07/02/2011 as security and that the reason this sum to be so deposited was because the sum claimed by the Excise Department was disputed by the company and the dispute is being adjudicated in CA/Writ/469/2008 pending before the Court of Appeal. Therefore, the sum is neither in “arrears” or in “default” as stated by the article
The company adds that they ceased to be a licensee in February 2011 and the licence that was issued to them was transferred at that time to Millers Brewery Limited ‘and therefore the company’s licence was never renewed as stated in the article.
Reporter’s note:
The article referred to above was based on the facts contained in the Administrative Report of the Commissioner General of Excise for the year 2012 which was presented to Parliament on September, 3, 2013. The Commissioner of Excise D.G.M.B.Hapuarachchi when contacted by the Sunday Times confirmed the contents of the report. In Appendix J to the Report, it names the five companies which were in arrears, and the amounts due. There is no reference in the report to any pending legal action by any of the companies against the Department.
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